Miss A Columnist

Jessica Peace-Urgelles is the Outreach Director for Miss A. She first and foremost, a mom to a very handsome and intelligent little boy and a frenchie named Escobar. She is addicted to social good and connecting people to charitable causes.

She grew up in the hills of southeastern Kentucky, and loves all things related to the Bluegrass State. They take pride in horses, basketball, and bourbon, but she likes porch swings and sweet tea too! She is torn between her love of cowboy boots and designer heels, and is always wearing at least one strand of pearls. Her heart is equally content enjoying a night out in the city or a weekend away getting dirty on the farm. She has a thick southern accent and is notorious for using it to her advantage. Her competing interests led her to write her blog, Blog of a Bluegrass Belle about growing up Southern, people dear to herheart, and herlove of various causes.

She is a member of the Bluegrass Junior Womans Club. BJWC is a non-profit whose focus is helping underprivileged women, children, and families in central Kentucky. Her work with BJWC led her to the United Nations Foundation Shot@Life campaign where she became a Champion and passionate advocate. She believes every child deserves a shot at a healthy life through global vaccine access.

On February 28, 2010, the Life of Dad blog was started with a single post. Life of Dad founder Tommy Riles’ daughter was born with a congenital heart defect. The piece is a genuine and heartfelt sentiment about emotions felt during his first 30 hours of being a dad. In a difficult and very personal moment in his life, Tommy decided to share his story and his daughter with the world. His original blog post became the springboard for many others, and eventually became a platform for advocacy.

The National Fatherhood Initiative was created to advance the lives of children by encouraging fathers to be more engaged. One in three children in America live without their biological father. There are many physical, emotional and social ramifications which can occur when a child lacks a father figure. NFI hopes through their efforts, more fathers will contribute to the lives of their children and communities.

Honda loaned several very stylish but practical 2014 Honda Odyssey vans out to the Life of Dad team. The vans were utilized in unique ways. They created book mobiles and lemonade stands. The goal was to create awareness about the National Fatherhood Initiative and several Life of Dad charitable projects.

The Life of Dad blog and their endeavors have grown immensely the last few years. Ryan Hamilton, David Guest, Dan Lazarz, Patrick Quinn and many other highly talented dad writers have joined the team. The blog is unique because every man shares his personal views and experiences from fatherhood. They host Dad-chelor parties, and even have a Life of Dad Pregnancy Guide.

You can read more about the National Fatherhood Initiative by visiting their website, and follow the Life of Dad project hashtag: #DadsDoingGood.